Anxiety is no longer just an individual issue—it’s a workplace epidemic, particularly in high-pressure industries. HR directors are on the front lines of this challenge, tasked with ensuring their teams are not only productive but also resilient, engaged, and well-supported. While long-term wellbeing programs are critical, the ability to address anxiety ‘in the moment’ is just as important for cultivating a thriving, innovative culture (and is often overlooked)
So, how can HR professionals equip employees with the tools to reset their mindset, reduce stress, and foster creativity ‘when it matters most’? The answer lies in short, simple mindset techniques that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday work life. Here’s how HR directors can incorporate these strategies into wellbeing programs, fostering resilience, compassion, and creativity across the organisation.
- Build resilience, compassion, and creativity into culture
Anxiety can block the very attributes that are critical in organisations, regardless of the industry of discipline — resilience, compassion, and creativity. These aren’t just personal qualities; they are workplace competencies that can be nurtured through well-designed wellbeing initiatives.
Resilience helps employees stay focused and productive when deadlines loom or priorities shift. Compassion —both for themselves and their colleagues—prevents stress from turning into burnout, while creativity flourishes in environments where anxiety and stress is managed, not suppressed.
The challenge for HR directors is to help employees tap into these qualities in real-time, especially when workloads are overwhelming. The good news? You don’t need complex systems to do this. By integrating a few simple, accessible mindset tools, you can empower your teams to manage their stress and anxiety on the fly.
Practical Tools for Mindset Refreshes at work:
HR programs often focus on long-term interventions, but it’s equally important to give employees immediate tools they can use in moments of stress. Here are three effective strategies that can be incorporated into your wellness programs:
1a. The One-Minute Breathing Reset
Stressful moments—like an overflowing inbox or a looming deadline—can cause panic, which disrupts focus and reduces productivity. One of the quickest ways to combat this is by teaching employees a simple one-minute breathing exercise.
Encourage employees to take just 60 seconds to reset their nervous system by practising mindful breathing. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, and repeat. This technique, which can be introduced through workshops or digital tools, helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress in real-time and allowing employees to return to their tasks with clarity.
Tip: Offer mindset content employees can consume in front of their laptops or incorporate this exercise into team meetings or suggest it as a quick tool after tough feedback sessions, and remind employees of its value during high-stress projects.
2b. Thought Reframing
Stressful situations often lead to unhelpful, negative thought patterns. An employee facing a packed schedule might think, “I’ll never get all of this done,” which only amplifies anxiety and leads to poor decision-making. Thought reframing is a simple, powerful tool that can transform how employees respond to pressure.
Train employees to reframe stressful thoughts into manageable, action-oriented statements. For example, rather than “I’m drowning in emails,” they might learn to think, “I’ll prioritise the most urgent tasks and tackle the rest in blocks.” This shift encourages problem-solving instead of panic.
Tip: Offer training sessions or mindset workshops where employees can practise thought reframing, and ensure managers model this language in their feedback and communication.
3c. Compassionate Pausing
In fast-paced industries, it’s common for employees to be their own worst critics. They push themselves harder, ignore signs of stress, and often judge themselves harshly when they can’t keep up. Compassionate pausing is a tool that encourages employees to pause, acknowledge their stress, and offer themselves a moment of grace.
Teach employees to recognise moments of overwhelm and practise self-compassion. By simply pausing, taking a breath, and acknowledging the difficulty without judgement, they can prevent stress from spiralling into burnout. This practice helps employees build emotional resilience, especially in high-pressure environments.
Tip: Incorporate this tool into your wellbeing programs through themed workshops or mindset resources. Consider embedding it in employee communications or during annual reviews to normalise moments of reflection.
- Embedding Mindset Tools into Wellbeing Programs
For HR directors, the key to creating a resilient, creative workforce is embedding these mindset tools into your existing wellbeing programs. Here are three ways to do that effectively:
2a. Integrate into Daily Workflows
Encourage teams to build these tools into their daily routines—whether through reminders in team meetings, integration into digital platforms like Slack, or wellness check-ins. A quick breathing reset or reframing exercise can easily become part of a manager’s toolkit.
2b. Train Managers as Mindset Leaders
Managers play a crucial role in modelling stress management and resilience. Offer training sessions for managers so they can lead by example, using these mindset tools themselves and encouraging their teams to do the same. When leaders actively engage in these practices, it normalises them for everyone else.
2c. Create a Culture of Psychological Safety
Employees need to feel safe acknowledging when they’re stressed or overwhelmed. HR can help cultivate this culture by providing space for reflection and vulnerability—whether through open forums, anonymous feedback options, or mental health check-ins. The more employees feel supported, the more likely they are to use these tools without fear of judgement. However the key to the success of this is purely driven by the leadership team and how well they embrace this approach. Emotional Intelligence training is key.
Long-Term Benefits of ‘In-the-Moment’ Mindset Tools
While the focus of these tools is on immediate stress relief, the long-term benefits are undeniable. By equipping employees with simple, actionable strategies, you create a more resilient, creative, and compassionate workforce. Over time, this contributes to lower burnout rates, improved team dynamics, and increased innovation—all critical components of success in the creative industries.
For HR directors, the challenge is to make these tools accessible, integrated, and part of the organisational fabric. So start small, and watch how big the impact can be.
HR can’t solely be on the hook to eliminate stress, but it can provide the tools to manage it, both in the moment and for the long term. These mindset refreshes are a starting point for transforming how your teams approach high-pressure work environments—and ultimately how they thrive within them.
